Helpful Expertise
i

Company Credentials
i

Phone SURVEY RESPONSES FROM 77 VERIFIED CUSTOMERS
i

Patricia L.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

1
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

He was very helpful and he didn't rush the job. He put a lot of time and effort into getting the right parts for a job that no other company would take on.

They did an excellent job. They have a lot of knowledge and experience in regards to relay systems for older homes. They were on time and efficient. When I looked in the Diamond Certified Directory to find an electrical contractor, Aren Electric was the only company who had any sort of experience doing relay systems in my area.

Brian S.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

2
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

They've been in business for quite some time, so there's really nothing in the electrical world that they can't do. I would recommend their services.

They don't 'BS' or upsell their customers. They're completely honest and there are no surprises when using them, which is fantastic.

Pasquale P.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

3
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

He is very thorough, he explained everything, and he gave me options on how to fix different things. He did exactly what I wanted to do and he solved the problems.

Diamond certified VIDEO PROFILE

Diamond certified company PROFILE

Gerry Reyes, Owner

Aren Electric Co., Inc. provides a variety of electrical repair and installation services for residential and commercial clients throughout the Peninsula. In addition to handling electrical wiring circuits for appliances, lighting, receptacles and other household applications, the company specializes in electrical panel upgrades, performs comprehensive electrical safety inspections and more.

Owner Gerry Reyes says his favorite part of being an electrical contractor is interacting with clients and utilizing his electrical expertise to help them in difficult situations. “Having an electrical hazard can be very stressful for a lot of homeowners, so our goal is to handle the work professionally and safely so our clients can relax and return to their normal lives. At the end of the day, we want them to be 100 percent satisfied with our work.”

Aren Electric Co. maintains a fleet of service trucks that are fully stocked with thousands of electrical parts, which allows the company to complete repair and installation jobs as quickly as possible. “We call them our ‘mobile warehouses,’” says Mr. Reyes. “By having all those parts at our immediate disposal, we can effectively solve all types of electrical problems.”

3-Year Warranty on Electrical Panel Upgrades, 2-Year Guarantee on all Work

CC Accepted:

DIAMOND CERTIFIED RESEARCHED ARTICLES ON Aren Electric Co., Inc.

Company Profile

Aren Electric Co., Inc. provides a variety of electrical repair and installation services for residential and commercial clients throughout the Peninsula. In addition to handling electrical wiring circuits for appliances, lighting, receptacles and other household applications, the company specializes in electrical panel upgrades, performs comprehensive electrical safety inspections and more.

Owner Gerry Reyes says his favorite part of being an electrical contractor is interacting with clients and utilizing his electrical expertise to help them in difficult situations. “Having an electrical hazard can be very stressful for a lot of homeowners, so our goal is to handle the work professionally and safely so our clients can relax and return to their normal lives. At the end of the day, we want them to be 100 percent satisfied with our work.”

Aren Electric Co. maintains a fleet of service trucks that are fully stocked with thousands of electrical parts, which allows the company to complete repair and installation jobs as quickly as possible. “We call them our ‘mobile warehouses,’” says Mr. Reyes. “By having all those parts at our immediate disposal, we can effectively solve all types of electrical problems.”

Company Philosophy

"Customer service is our top priority, so we work hard to safely solve our clients' electrical problems and make them feel completely at ease. We understand the importance of listening to our customers–if they ever have a problem or concern, they know they can come to us and we'll immediately take care of it."

Comparative Summary

Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for electrical contractors that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Aren Electric Co., Inc., the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: utilize its vast amounts of industry expertise to provide electrical services that create safe living environments and enable customers to feel at ease in their homes. “We always explain the condition of each electrical system before working on it so the customer knows exactly what to expect,” says owner Gerry Reyes. “Our biggest priority is ensuring the safety of our customers, and clear communication is an important part of that.”

Aren Electric Co. has been providing electrical repair and installation services for residential and commercial clients throughout the Peninsula and San Francisco since 1994. In addition to handling electrical wiring for switches, circuits, home entertainment systems and other household applications, the company performs comprehensive safety inspections, installs new circuits and outdoor lighting systems, and more.

Unlike less experienced electrical contractors that strive to maximize their workload volume and eschew a detail-oriented business approach in the process, Aren Electric Co. prioritizes quality on every job and takes the necessary time to ensure its work is as safe as possible. “For example, we really take our time when it comes to installing wiring,” says Mr. Reyes. “Putting in a wire and making sure the light turns on isn’t enough. We route all wires according to the National Electrical Code to make sure everything is safe and supported.”

Another attribute that sets Aren Electric Co. apart from its competition is its commitment to taking care of its clients throughout each phase of their projects, including after the work has been completed. “We normally provide a two-year warranty for our work, but we’ll continue to back it up after that if necessary,” says Mr. Reyes. “If a customer has a problem with work we did in the past, we’ll usually come out and fix it for them, which makes them feel happy and valued.”

Industry Info

The importance of ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). The average homeowner might not even know what a ground fault is, but when a house’s ground fault is compromised, it can put the entire property in danger. Basically, a ground fault is an inadvertent electrical path between a power source and a grounded surface. While all electrical devices and appliances are “grounded” to ensure they can be safely operated by consumers, devices can still lose their grounding and divert electrical currents to the nearest channel that provides a path to the ground: the body of the consumer.
This is where the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) comes in. A common safety feature that can be identified as two small buttons located in between the two sockets on an electric outlet, the GFCI’s function is to constantly monitor the power current flowing through a circuit. The moment the GFCI senses even a small disparity between the current flowing into the outlet and the return current, it intervenes by shutting off the power to that outlet. GFCIs are effective because they’re able to quickly sense dangerous situations and interrupt the current before it administers a potentially fatal electric shock. Because of the ever present danger posed by the possibility of a ground fault (particularly when water is involved), GFCIs are required by the electrical code for outlets in bathrooms and kitchens, on the exteriors of buildings, and near swimming pools.
If your GFCI gets tripped, you can just press the reset button to restore power to the circuit—however, it may not reset if an electrical problem is still present. If your GFCI trips frequently, it’s a good idea to call an electrical contractor to come take a look. “A GFCI shouldn’t trip at all unless there’s a ground fault or something that’s shorting,” says Gerry Reyes, owner of Aren Electric Co., Inc. in Daly City. “Either the outlet itself is bad or it has a faulty component, but either way, it’s telling you there’s something wrong that needs to be addressed.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you come out on the day that I call?

A: It depends on our schedule, but sometimes we can come out the same day.

Q: What’s your approach to quality control?

A: Our approach to quality control is linked to the pride we take in our work. We make sure all our work is performed to the standards we would want in our own homes. We’re very thorough, and we always investigate each situation before we install a new outlet or breaker to ensure everything is safe and supported.

Q: I have a lot of electronic devices but not many outlets, so I use a lot of extension cords and power strips. Is this safe?

A: Not really. Using a lot of extension cords adds to the power load borne by your circuit, which can lead to overheating and cause the breakers to trip. In this case, we’d recommend adding some additional outlets to your home.

Q: It looks like rats have chewed off some of the insulation on my wiring. Can I wrap the wiring with electrical tape?

A: It depends on the extent of the damage. If it’s just a small area on the wire, electrical tape should be an adequate remedy. However, if the damage is more extensive, you should call us to replace the wire. A severely damaged or exposed electric wire is a major safety hazard—if you touch it, you could get electrocuted.

Q: Do I have to be home when you’re conducting a safety inspection?

A: Not unless you want to hear what the inspector has to say during the process.

DIAMOND CERTIFIED EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR ADVICE & TIPS FROM Gerry Reyes

Expert CONTRIBUTOR PROFILE

Gerry Reyes is a 29-year veteran of the electrical industry and owner of Aren Electric Co., Inc., a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (650) 564-3636 or by email.

Gerry Reyes: A Helping Hand

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

DALY CITY – Gerry Reyes knew he wanted to be an electrician at a young age, but rather than getting his training through an apprenticeship, he opted for a more ceremonious route: the military. “When I joined the U.S. Air Force, I told the recruiter I wanted to be an electrician,” he remembers. “Once I was stationed in Texas, I received my training to become an electrical power production specialist. It was my responsibility to handle all the electrical power needs on the base.”

Following his stint in the Air Force, Gerry worked in a couple related industries before eventually striking out on his own. “My first job after the military was as a copy machine technician,” he says. “The company was going to send me to training school, but since I had a strong background in electronics, I was actually able to read the schematics and fix the machines without any additional training.” Gerry’s next job was working for American Airlines as a maintenance mechanic. “We took care of all the jet bridges, and we also repaired and maintained the x-ray machines and security devices.” After a while, Gerry decided to leave and fulfill his dream of starting his own electrical contracting business. In 1994, he founded Aren Electric Co., which he continues to operate nearly 20 years later.

Gerry hasn’t always lived in the Bay Area, or even in the United States. Originally from the Philippines, he immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 16 and made his way to the Bay Area, where his mother and several other family members were already situated. “I came here in 1982,” he says. “After the Air Force, I returned in 1988 and have been here since.” Gerry now has his own family—his wife, Eleanor, and their children Ashley, 24, and Matthew, 19. “Ashley just graduated college and wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps to become a physical therapist,” he says. “My son is studying bioscience at Dominican University in San Rafael. I’m trying to convince him to go into medicine, because it would be great to have a doctor in the family.”

While Gerry concedes that owning a business involves a lot of hard work, he finds the sense of independence it gives him to be very gratifying. He also draws inspiration from the variety of people he meets while on the job. “One of the things I enjoy most is meeting new people, talking to them and learning how they live,” he says. “Seeing other people who have been successful in life motivates me to work harder and strive for more.” Outside of work, Gerry enjoys taking part in outdoor activities like golfing, basketball, running and fishing on the bay.

Gerry says helping those in need is an integral part of his personal ethos, particularly when it comes to his occupation. “I like helping customers with problems in their homes. Occasionally, I’ll encounter a customer who is elderly or financially disadvantaged and has a problem that he or she simply can’t afford to have fixed. I’ll often fix those problems at no additional charge. It makes me feel good when I go home.” In the past, Gerry has donated his time to Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for disadvantaged homeowners, which he says is something he’d like to do more of when he retires. “It’ll be a great way for me to keep busy and help others in the process.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: An early bird.

Q: What’s your favorite sports team?
A: The San Francisco 49ers.

Q: If you had a warning label, what would it say?
A: “Watch out…Gerry’s in town!”

Q: What’s your favorite vacation spot?
A: Hawaii. Besides the weather, I really like the local people. I’ve made a lot of friends there, and I like to hang out and drink coffee with some of the retired folks.

Q: What’s your favorite season?
A: Christmas time. I like the songs, smells, food and family gatherings—just the whole spirit of the season.

Expert articles

Understanding Your GFCI

by Gerry Reyes, a Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

DALY CITY — Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) can be found in most residential bathrooms and kitchens, but not everyone understands the significance of the small buttons and little green light on the electrical outlets in their homes. In fact, GFCI’s are a very important aspect of home safety.

“Ground fault” is a term for a disruption that can occur in the low-resistance grounding path from a tool or electrical system. In the event of a ground fault, the electrical current may take an alternate path to the ground through the user, resulting in electrical shock. A GFCI protects the user by sensing this disruption and shutting off the power before contact is made between the electrical current and the user. Since one potential cause of a ground fault is an electrical device coming into contact with water, GFCI’s are most often located in areas like kitchens, bathrooms and garages.

All GFCI’s have a green indicator light to show that the power is on and the outlet is protected. If a GFCI’s indicator light isn’t lit, it may have been tripped, which shuts off the power to that outlet. To restore power, press the “reset” button. You should test the GFCI’s in your home on a monthly basis by pressing the “test” button—this will trigger an artificial ground fault, which should shut off the power. After testing, press the reset button to restore power.

Expert video tip

Video: Testing a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter

with Gerry Reyes of Aren Electric Co., Inc.

Complete Video Transcription:

DALY CITY — Host, Sarah Rutan: GFCIs or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are important parts of your electrical system. Today, we’re in Daly City with Gerry Reyes of Aren Electric Co. to learn more about how test and maintain your GFCIs.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Gerry Reyes: The GFCI receptacles have been found in the kitchen, countertops, which is a code and also bathrooms. garages, outdoors, and the purpose of it is it’s a ground fault. Something happens like a cord gets cut, this GFCI receptacle will turn off automatically by itself in a split second to prevent any injuries. You can test this monthly by pressing the test button, just what I did and then as you can see the light went off and that means this receptacle is off right now. Then you can reset it and it goes back to normal again.

COMPANY WEBSITE

COMPANY CONTACT

Aren Electric Co., Inc.

Diamond Certified RATINGS ON Aren Electric Co., Inc.

Rated Highest in Quality and Helpful Expertise

Aren Electric Co., Inc.

77 SURVEYS

RATING

6 CONSECUTIVE YEARS SINCEAugust 2012CERT1903

DIAMOND CERTIFIED PERFORMANCE GUARANTEED

Diamond certified ratings dashboard

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
i

Customer LOYALTY
i

Helpful Expertise
i

Each surveyed customer was asked, “If you needed any helpful expertise, did this company provide that expertise?” To calculate this score, total “Yes” responses were divided by total responses (excluding those that stated they hadn’t needed any expertise).

Company Credentials
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Workers Compensation

Liability Insurance

License Verification

Business Practices

Current Complaint File

Legal & Finance

Phone SURVEY RESPONSES FROM 77 VERIFIED CUSTOMERS
i

Aren Electric Co., Inc.:
Average 9.8 out of 10 based on 77 unique customer surveys of customer satisfaction.

Patricia L.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

1
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

He was very helpful and he didn't rush the job. He put a lot of time and effort into getting the right parts for a job that no other company would take on.

They did an excellent job. They have a lot of knowledge and experience in regards to relay systems for older homes. They were on time and efficient. When I looked in the Diamond Certified Directory to find an electrical contractor, Aren Electric was the only company who had any sort of experience doing relay systems in my area.

Brian S.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

2
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

They've been in business for quite some time, so there's really nothing in the electrical world that they can't do. I would recommend their services.

They don't 'BS' or upsell their customers. They're completely honest and there are no surprises when using them, which is fantastic.

Pasquale P.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

3
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

He is very thorough, he explained everything, and he gave me options on how to fix different things. He did exactly what I wanted to do and he solved the problems.

I like his integrity. They worked very hard.

Mona M.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

4
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

Very reliable, hard working and on time

Nothing really

Joan G.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

5
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

I would recommend them.

We liked their reliability.

Karen S.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

6
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

I think he is worth it. The owner William is great at what he does.

The company is very thorough.

Kurt W.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

7
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

They are friendly and very neat.

I liked the fact that they did not try to upsell me. I really don't like that. They were honest and actually get good prices on fixtures.

Matthew A.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

8
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

Very good communication and fair pricing

The communication was the best thing about the company. I had called several other contractors and Aren Electric is the only one that called back.

Mark S.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

9
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

One thing we really appreciated was, we were looking at replacing some fixtures. He was unselfish and actually showed us how to fix the other problems ourselves.

We like the fact that he is trustworthy.

Carol P.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

10
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

For a visual person like me, he takes a lot of time to explain things.

He keeps things simple for me.

John G.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

11
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

The way he treated us was nice.

He was on time and he didn't rush his work.

Tyrone S.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

12
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

I had them check the wires to the sockets to the house, good estimate on wall socket analysis.

They found an illegal security installation from ADT which they disconnected so I would not be charged for their fees and services.

Gregory R.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

13
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

Very good, very efficient and friendly

Their quality of work

Michael S.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

14
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

Friendly, complete

Nothing

Tuck G.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

15
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

Reliable, very pleasant, thorough and clean

I felt comfortable with him as he did not try to upsell me on projects that did not need to be done.

Gary B.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

16
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

They are great at troubleshooting and offer more than expected.

They do the job you hire them for. They go above and beyond what you ask them to do.

Deborah L.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

17
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

He called back immediately when I called. He was available in a reasonable amount of time. He was focused on the task, and explained what he was doing.

He showed me what he was doing, and tested the work to my satisfaction.

Marianne O.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

18
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

I would definitely call them.

He was just very knowledgeable, friendly, and nice. I was satisfied with the job he did.

Nancy K.

VERIFIED Aren Electric Co., Inc. CUSTOMER

19
of
77

Quality 10

1010

Loyalty
Yes

CRITIQUE

Use them.

They're accommodating, professional, and they work around my hectic schedule.